In support of the Enterprise Business Transformation (EBT) within Programs and Resources of the U. S. Marine Corps, Ursa Major developed an analysis of thirty-eight Management Touch Points (MTPs). This work was done through Catapult Consultants and Catoctin Consulting.

These MTPs are Federal, Department of Defense (DoD), Department of the Navy (DON), and Marine Corps guidance documents, organizations, objectives, and standards that govern the management of enterprise architectures (EA), systems, and data across the Marine Corps. The MTPs were analyzed across the solutions life cycle, to identify gaps and potential duplications and create a resource providing insight into this important area.

Through this work, Dorothy Firsching updated her knowledge of the Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework (FEAF-II), Federal guidance, the DoD Architecture Framework (DoDAF), DoD guidance, DON EA guidance and organization, and Marine Corps EA Guidance and organization. Lifecycle frameworks, including the Business Capability Lifecycle (BCL) and the Joint Capability Integration and development System (JCIDS) were also analyzed, as were the requirements for interoperability and supportability of IT and national security systems (NSS). The MTPs were mapped to the solutions and investment life cycle.

Gaps and overlaps were identified, and additional MTPs were proposed to fill the gaps. MTP overlaps are not redundancies, but instead require a roadmap to determine the most appropriate or mandated path for a given effort. There is recent and continuing work to update the management of DoD, DON, and Marine Corps EA and systems investments. Additional actions were recommended to leverage these improvements.

Overall, it was a very interesting and well-received project. We look forward to continuing to support the EBT office in the future.

I recently received the following great news. I had submitted the application last fall, but never expected to win. There are a lot of medium-sized condo associations in the Washington, DC Metro Area. Our board has accomplished a great deal in these past few years! (Some day, we will have to write a book about it! Never a dull moment! In any case, come to the CAI conference and hear what we have to say about it.)

The awards will be presented and the real pomp and circumstance will take place at our Conference & Expo on Saturday, March 12, 2011. At the Conference & Expo we will not only present your award but a representative of your community will have the opportunity to speak about Talltree South Condominium Association's successes during an educational seminar titled, "Proven Best Practices for Community Associations: Hear it from the Winners!"

These are just a few of the benefits of this award! Jennifer Jones, communications manager, will be in touch with further details in the near future.

On behalf of Washington Metropolitan Chapter Community Associations Institute I'd like to congratulate you and thank you for your commitment to providing better living through community associations!

One of Ursa Major's strengths is project management, which is important in every domain. In addition to a great many years of project management experience, our consultants are also certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI) as Project Management Professionals (PMPs).

Earning the PMP designation indicates that project managers understand the use of standardized methodologies for project management, including issues such as risk management, stakeholder analysis, resource management, and performance analysis. Good project managers know how to deliver cost effective projects on time.

In theory, this means prioritizing and balancing cost, schedule, and scope. In practice, in addition to building a reasonably complete work breakdown structure, accurate estimate, and achievable schedule, it means listening and communicating as well as managing within a contract. It also means tackling areas of perceived risk to reduce or eliminate them early in the process.

So rest assured, we'll keep you up to date on project progress and work with you to ensure success!

What People Say

Business Process Analysis

“I"ve worked with Dorothy on a variety of projects in which her ability to conduct in-depth, detailed analysis allowed us to place strong confidence in the reliability of work results. She quickly gained in-depth knowledge of complex business processes, IT systems, and strategic objectives to provide analysis and recommendations. Excellent work results, on-time with quality products were always a given with Dorothy on-board.”

-- Sheryl Kennerly, CIO, Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (now the AbilityOne Program)